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Pakistan will cross swords with Zimbabwe on the 24ththe party of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 at the Perth Stadium in Perth. Babar Azam’s side were distressed to lose two points against India in the previous game and will be sore ahead of their clash with Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe were gifted a point, thanks to the rain gods who came to their aid when they were about to lose their last game against South Africa.
Babar Azam will make sure the team does whatever it takes to stay on track for the World Cup semi-finals. While the last four places are still open, Pakistan may very well make it if they fight hard starting from the Zimbabwe match.
Let’s look at Pakistan’s probable XI against Zimbabwe:
Starters: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c)
Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam They have been starting for the national team for quite some time and both have been sensational on numerous occasions. However, they failed to create any impact against India, the match against Zimbabwe seems to be the right opportunity for them to announce their arrival.
Both will be hungry to get runs on the board for the side and build a strong partnership when they take on the African nation next.
Middle order: Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haider Ali
Shan Masood was simply sensational in the match against the Men in Blue as he posted an unbeaten 52 in 42 deliveries with a strike rate of 123.80. The player along with Iftikhar Ahmed gave the team a ray of hope after losing both Babar and Rizwan. The slugger will undoubtedly be a profitable option in the middle order to score runs for the roster.
The partnership maintained by Shan and Iftikhar helped the team achieve a competitive total. Iftikhar will also be looking to carry on his form against Zimbabwe in a must-win match.
Haider Ali is a good batsman as he is able to explode in the order. However, he hasn’t found his rhythm yet and will need to gain good form as the matches get thick and fast.
All terrain: Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz
Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan had lousy outings with the bat against the Men in Blue. The two simply couldn’t connect the ball to help the team gain an advantage over the opposing nation. However, Shadab eventually made up for it on the ball, as he conceded just 21 runs from his four overs.
Nawaz, on the other hand, just didn’t have a great night at the MCG, even with the ball, as he was hammered by Indian batsmen for 42 runs in his stipulated four overs at an economic rate of 10.50. His goal will be to play a vital role for the team as they move into the next game.
Bowlers: Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi
Pakistan’s rhythm bowling trio were largely excellent in their clash against India. The Australian tracks are very suitable for pacers and these three can put the courses to good use to their advantage.
Haris Rauf, who ripped off two wickets in the previous match, will continue to play an integral role for the team. While Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi will be looking to use their pace and the extra bounce that Australian tracks provide. Clearly, Zimbabwe will have a hard time coping with this. Pakistan side.
Pakistan predicted XI against Zimbabwe:
Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (week), Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
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